Letters in the Mailbox
by protejerinnocencia
Summary: Set after Good Cop, Dead Cop. Brandi makes a choice that lands her under the protection of US Marshals. Can Mary handle being on the other side of the table? Can Brandi handle WITSEC?
1. Screwdrivers for Breakfast

Screwdrivers for Breakfast

_Screwdrivers for Breakfast_

Brandi sat in the kitchen, staring at the back of the cereal box as she sipped what appeared to be orange juice. Jinx was nowhere to be seen and Mary was still in the shower. Brandi let out a sigh as her phone began to vibrate along the center island. She knew the number by heart even before it flashed on the small screen. She tried to ignore it. She didn't want to talk to him. She was still regretting going back for the suitcase. She'd thought she was over Chuck. He'd used her in their relationship and he was still exploiting that power he held over her.

"Hey Squish." Brandi looked up to see Mary walk in and head for the coffee pot.

"Huh?"

"Nothing, just saying morning."

"Oh…yeah…morning." Mary poured herself a cup of coffee, sniffing it before taking a sip. She gagged.

"Ok, who left two day old coffee in the pot?" She continued to gag as she reached Brandi's glass of juice. Before Brandi could stop her, Mary had taken a swig. She looked just as surprised by the taste of the juice as she had been by the coffee.

"Are you drinking screwdrivers with breakfast?" Brandi just shrugged, looking away from her older sister.

"God, you're as bad as Mom."

"Someone mention me?" Jinx appeared in the doorway, smiling at her girls.

"Nothing. I've got to get to work." Mary fixed Brandi with a displeased look as she grabbed her keys and stormed out. Jinx moved to stand next o Brandi.

"What's the matter, sweetie?"

"Nothing." Brandi tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear and put her dishes in the sink, making sure to rinse out the glass thoroughly.

"I'm going out," she announced as she too grabbed her purse and keys and headed outside.

"Why don't you stop by the restaurant later. We can have lunch. Family discount remember!" Brandi just waved at her mother as she climbed into her car and sped off.

She drove for a while, just cruising the city. She had nothing better to do. Still, she couldn't keep her mind from flitting back to the water soaked suitcase that was now hidden in her closet. She knew she shouldn't have gone back for it. Maybe if she'd thrown it harder, she wouldn't have been able to find it again. Brandi was so caught up in her own thoughts that she sat idling at a now green light. She received honks from drivers behind her.

"Ok, ok, I'm going. God." She floored the gas pedal and made a hard left. As she slowed down, her phone began to ring in her purse. She tried to ignore it but it kept ringing. She let out a groan and pulled the car over in an alley.

"Hello?"

"Hey babe."

"Chuck…what is it?"

"Just checking up on you."

"Oh….that's nice." She knew he could feel the tension between, even on the other side of the country.

"So what are you doing, beautiful?"

"Uh you know just taking drive."

"We've got the deal almost set."

"Good."

"So you need to come back in the next few days to make the drop. Don't forget the suitcase."

"I…I don't have a lot of money right now. I don't think I could afford a plane ticket."

"Ask your sister…just get the money and get on a plane and get here."

"Ok…sure." She ended the call, tossing her phone back in her purse and rested her head on the steering wheel. What was she doing? She couldn't fly back to New Jersey with the drugs. She couldn't ask Mary for the money. She'd ask too many questions.

"Think, Brandi, think." She hit her head against the steering wheel a few times, trying to figure out what to do. After a minute or two of contemplating her situation, she put the car back in drive and sped off back onto the main road. She weaved through the morning traffic until she reached a familiar house. She took a minute to check herself in the rearview mirror before climbing out and walking up to the front door. She knocked twice and waited for a response. She could see movement through the windows as Raphael moved towards her. He pulled the door open and just stood there in his workout clothes, staring at her.

"What do you want, Brandi?"

"Can we talk?" Raphael nodded, taking a step back to let her enter. She sat down on the couch and looked around, suddenly full of nervous energy.

"Brandi, are you ok?"

"Yeah, Chico, I'm fine."

"What do you want to talk about because I think Mary made it clear that…"

"God not that. I told you there's no way we'd ever do that, ever." Raph cleared his throat and nodded.

"Right, of course."

"I just…ok so here's the deal. Say you…well not you but someone knew that something big…and illegal was about to happen."

"Ok…"

"So…what should the person do? I mean…they know what's going to happen…and they might be involved…but they aren't sure."

"How involved is the person?"

"Uh…you know….not….a lot. But if they got caught they'd be in like major trouble."

"Ok let me see if I follow…you-"

"Not me. Just…a person."

"Right, sorry. A person knows something bad is going to happen…and is part of it…"

"Yeah…what should the person do? Like…do they turn the other people in? Or should they just go through with it? I mean it's not like they'd get caught, right?" Raphael leaned back and ran a hand over his neck.

"Brandi…are you in trouble? Did something happen?"

"No, God Chico it's not real…it's like…one of those…situations that don't happen."

"Imaginary?"

"Yeah, that."

Raphael didn't look convinced by Brandi's answer. Something was going on and he had a feeling it had to do with Chuck. Brandi looked away from him, her hand toying with a few strands of hair absently. Raph took a breath and slowly exhaled through his nose,

"Does this have something to do with Chuck?"

"This doesn't have anything to do with me, ok. Get that through your head."

"I'm sorry…you said you want my help. I give you my help."

"Just…what would the person do?"

"I…I guess turn them into the police. Maybe then they don't get caught."

"Yeah…probably…." Another silence fell between them. Brandi let out a sigh. She knew Raphael was probably right. She should do the right thing, but what if it backfired? She didn't want Chuck mad at her. He knew people that could do damage and not to just her. They'd go after Mary and Jinx too.

"Do you think Mary is still mad with me?" Brandi blinked.

"What? No. Didn't you listen to her message. She's cool if you see other people."

"But not you."

"Well…yeah...but that's like…duh."

"But I don't know if she really means it. She…can be…you know."

"Yeah, I know. She's Mary."

"Hey…do you think you can take me to physical therapy?"

"Now?"

"Yes." Brandi bit her lip.

"Yeah ok. Let's go. And no more screwing with Judy. She's…just gross."

"Would you let it go? It was one time…"

"Yeah…sure Chico." They stood up and headed outside, climbing into Brandi's car. The drive to the physical therapist's office was quiet except for the radio playing softly in the background. They avoided eye contact as Brandi pulled into a parking spot.

"Hey listen…call me when you're done. I have to go do something. I'll be back though."

"Ok. Thank you for driving me." She watched him walk through the front door and couldn't help but smile. Even if she wouldn't admit it to him, she did like him and more than just a friend. She knew he felt there could be something between them too. She knew it was why he pushed her away and tried to distance himself. He didn't want to cross that line with her and she knew it was because she was Mary's little sister.

She idled in the parking lot for a good fifteen minutes before pulling out onto the highway. She stopped at the stop sign on the corner and looked in the rearview mirror and smoothed her hair. She had a decision to make. She knew she couldn't let herself get dragged down by Chuck anymore. And was sure she couldn't handle a police investigation. It left her with only one option. She pulled away from the corner and continued straight. She knew what she was looking for but she hadn't been there since she'd arrived in Albuquerque. Still she managed to find it. She pulled into the visitor lot and cut the engine. A part of her was telling her to turn around leave, that it wasn't worth the risk she was about to take just to satiate her conscience. But the bigger part, the part that sounded oddly like Rafael was telling her this was the right thing to do.

"Let's get this over with." She climbed out of the driver side and walked with purpose up to the front doors, Albuquerque Police Department. She walked in and was stopped by Detective Dershowitz.

"Can I help you?"


	2. The Hardest Thing and the Right Thing

The Hardest Thing and the Right Thing

_The Hardest Thing and the Right Thing_

Brandi looked at the detective nervously. Maybe she wasn't doing the right thing. She took a step backwards, still doubting whether she wanted to tell him or not.

"Miss?"

"Uh…I need to talk to someone." Bobby cleared his throat and motioned for her to follow him to his desk. She followed after him, looking around anxiously.

"Why don't you have a seat?" She slid into the chair he offered her and fiddling with the strap of her purse. Bobby looked at her closely. Something seemed familiar about her but he couldn't place it.

"So…what did you need to talk about, Miss…?" He paused, unsure of her name.

"Brandi."

"Ok, Brandi. What's on your mind?" She swallowed, trying not to look him in the eyes. She got the feeling he could spot a liar a mile away. He was a cop after all. Wasn't that what they did?

"I…uh…" She couldn't seem to form a coherent sentence. Brandi wanted to admit to having the drugs but she didn't want to go to jail. But if she didn't confess then she'd be letting Chuck use her. Bobby sat patiently, pen poised over paper.

"This is really hard, wow. So um...am I going to get in trouble for telling you this?" Bobby raised an eyebrow.

"That depends on what you're going to tell me."

"See I'm dating this guy…well I mean we're kind of broken up." Bobby nodded.

"Well…he wants me to do something…but I don't know if I should..."

"Why don't you start from the beginning, Brandi?" She let out a hiccup of nervous laughter.

"Right….well I came out here to visit my family, my mom and sister. I left my boyfriend in New Jersey…he's…kind of a businessman and he wants me to fly back this week…" Bobby cleared his throat and set the pen down.

"Alright, look. Just tell it to me straight."

"He wants me to bring back…a suitcase…full of crystal meth." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Brandi's head fell into her hands in embarrassment.

"And I'm so dead aren't I?" Bobby leaned back in his chair. He had to admit he was a little surprised by her confession. Before he could say anything, her phone began to ring. Without looking at the detective, Brandi fished it out of her purse.

"Hello?"

"Hi sweetie. I just wanted to remind you about stopping by the restaurant for lunch."

"Mom, I'm kind of busy right now. I'll…I'll call you later." She hung up and looked guilty as she put it away.

"Let me get this straight. Your boyfriend wants you to fly to…wherever he is to bring him a suitcase full of drugs?" She nodded.

"Mind telling me why you're telling me this?"

"I…I guess I felt guilty or something. Like it was the right thing to do."

They stayed silent for a long time. Bobby appeared to be searching Brandi's eyes for something, the truth perhaps? She shifted in the chair uncomfortably. Now that she'd admitted that she had the drugs she was even more nervous about what was going to happen to her now. The silence was interrupted by Brandi's phone ringing again. She glanced at the number and let out a small groan.

"Chico, what is it?"

"You said call when I finished. I'm done."

"I'm still doing that thing I said I had to do."

She could tell Bobby wanted to say something. She put the phone on her shoulder, directing her attention back to him.

"I'm afraid you can't leave."

"Are you serious? Look I swear I'd be back in like twenty minutes. I just have a pick a friend up from physical therapy." Bobby shook his head and she let out another sound of annoyance.

"Look, I'm going to be here for a while. Can't you catch a cab or something?"

"A cab? You sound like Mary." Brandi just rolled her eyes at his comment.

"Ok, fine. I'll catch a cab."

"Ok…bye, Chico." She hung up and toyed with her phone for a moment or two.

"So….what happens now?"

"First, I'm going to have you write out a sworn statement and sign it for the record." He stood up and motioned for her to follow him into an interrogation room. She followed at a distance. Her mind was flashing back to every campy, clichéd cop movie she'd ever seen.

"Just have a seat and write down everything you told me."

"I'm not under arrest am I?" He shook his head.

"No. Not until we find the drugs." She cringed. He left her to write out her statement. She stared at the yellow legal pad and took a deep breath. She could do this. She couldn't turn back now. Brandi picked up the pen and slowly began to write down everything she'd told Bobby, adding a few details she'd left out. Back at his desk, Bobby was finishing a phone call to the Narcotics division of Albuquerque PD.

"Yes, Sir. As soon as I have the address, we'll move." He hung up the phone and went to check on Brandi. She handed him the signed statement.

"I need for you to tell me where the drugs are."

"Uh…in my house."

"I'm going to have an officer escort you home. You're going to wait outside for myself and the other officers to arrive."

"Don't you need like a warrant or something?"

"We have probable cause that the drugs are where you say they are. As long as you give us permission to search the house, we don't need one."

"Oh…ok." She shouldered her purse and followed him back out to the bull pen area. Bobby motioned for a uniformed officer to escort Brandi back to her car and to the house.

The drive back to the house was silent. The officer kept his eyes on her the entire drive, lurching in his seat whenever she almost missed stopping at a stop sign. She could see the other police cars behind her, their lights flashing in her rearview and side mirrors.

As instructed, Brandi and the officer waited outside while the other officers arrived. Bobby pulled Brandi aside.

"Where are the drugs?"

"In the closet in my bedroom. They're in a suitcase." Brandi watched the officers walk up the front steps.

"Hey, wait. I have a key," she called as one of the officers was about to use a crowbar to force open the front door. She pulled the keys from her purse and handed them to the officer. She watched them enter the house. It suddenly hit her that she hadn't told them which room was hers. Mary was going to kill her if they tore the place apart.

The search lasted an excruciatingly long time from Brandi's perspective. She paced in front of the porch, wondering what was going on inside. She'd thought about calling Mary and giving her a heads up but the officer who had escorted her had insisted on taking her phone.

"What's taking so long?"

"They just want to be thorough, Ma'am."

"But…it's only in one room. Oh I'm so dead if they break stuff."

Inside Bobby led the narcotics team through the upper floor of the house, room by room. They turned over mattresses, emptied drawers and tore closets apart. They had found a few suitcases but they were empty with the exception some lint.

"Sir, we think we may have found something," one of the officers called from across the hall. Bobby pushed between the doorframe and the officer standing watch, leaving Mary's room. The officer that had spoken stood over a still soggy looking suitcase. Bobby donned gloves and unzipped the luggage.

"Jackpot."

"Let's get this back to the station." They traipsed downstairs to the sound of tires squealing on the pavement outside. Brandi looked over and paled as Mary's car pulled up to the curb. The police cruisers took up all the space in the driveway. The officers carrying the suitcases walked out of the house first, giving Mary enough time to climb out of the driver side door and storm up the to the porch. She barely noticed what they were carrying. The first thing she saw was Detective Dershowitz. He looked just as surprised to see her standing there as she was to see him coming out of her house.

"Mary?"

"What the hell are you doing in my house?" Bobby blinked.

"Your house?"

"Yeah asshole. This is my house." He glanced over at Brandi. She had turned around, trying not to be seen. Bobby wasn't sure what to say. His mind finally clicked as to why Brandi looked familiar. She was related to a US Marshal. Mary's eyes narrowed, daring him not to give her an answer. He cleared his throat and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"We were following a tip. We were informed there was a large quantity of cocaine at this address." As Bobby spoke, one of the narcotics officers was handcuffing Brandi. She finally looked up to see Mary's eyes wide with shock.

"Brandi, what the hell did you do?"


	3. Busted

Busted

_Busted_

Brandi stood still as Mary gaped at her. She should have known her sister would freak out. But she hadn't expected Mary to come home so early. It wasn't even noon yet. Mary took a step closer to Brandi, her eyes urging her to explain why the cops had just left her house.

"I…it's kind of complicated."

"Well I'd love to hear it. Because I can not deal with you getting arrested right now." Mary ran a hand through her hair, looking stressed.

"It's not like I wanted to get arrested, ok. I…" She struggled against the handcuffs binding her hands behind her back. Bobby stepped between the two women, taking Mary by the arm.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" He dragged Mary a good distance from Brandi and the other officers.

"You know this young woman? Mind explaining how?" Even though he knew the answer, he wanted to hear here admit it. It wasn't often he got a straight answer out of Mary.

"She's my sister. God what the hell did she do?"

"We found a suitcase with a large quantity of crystal meth."

"Where's your warrant?" Her hand was outstretched.

"Didn't need one. We had probable cause to believe the drugs were in the house and your sister let us in." Mary shook her head in disbelief and walked away from him. She pushed past the officers barring the door.

"Get out of my way." She walked in to find the first floor relatively intact. As she moved upstairs, her eyes widened at the mess Dershowitz and his people had made. She had to wade through drawers and clothes to even get into her own room. She managed to sit down on her bed before her phone began ringing. She looked at the number.

"What's up, Stan?"

"Are you planning on coming back from lunch?"

"Uh actually I can't. I can't get into details but I've got a big family emergency at home."

"Emergency?" Mary didn't have family emergencies. Most of the time she acted as though her family didn't even exist.

"Yeah, look Stan I have to go." Before Stan could inquire further, Mary snapped her phone shut and walked back down to the first floor. She could see Bobby talking to a couple of the other uniformed officers standing outside. She was going to rip him a new one if she got the chance. By the time Mary got back outside they were putting Brandi in the police cruiser to take her back to the station.

"Whoah hold on a minute. You aren't taking her anywhere."

"This isn't your jurisdiction, Mary."

"You know what, screw jurisdiction." She turned to look at Brandi.

"Get out of the car."

"Uh…hello handcuffed. Can't open the door." Mary pulled the back door open and Brandi stumbled out, trying to catch herself before she fell to the ground. Mary led Brandi around the back of the car so the officers couldn't hear their conversation.

"Ok, listen to me. I'm still really mad at you for…whatever the hell is was you did. But you need to get yourself a lawyer."

"Ok…but aren't those kind of expensive."

"I'll see if I can pull a few strings. You don't say anything to them you understand. Not a word until you have representation."

"Yeah, I get it." Brandi looked uncomfortable leaning against the car. Mary couldn't tell if it was the topic of the conversation or the handcuffs and she didn't really care.

"Look…I'm sorry about the house. I…I didn't know they would trash everything. I told them where it was. I even unlocked the door for them." Mary let out a breath, resting her hands on her hips.

"Just tell me one thing…did you lose your mind?" Brandi averted her gaze.

"No…look shouldn't you be happy that I turned the stupid thing in?"

"Right now, I'm about ready to kill you. I didn't think you could be so stupid. Keeping drugs in my house! Did you even think about how that would affect Mom and I?" Brandi's eyes widened.

"Mom…oh crap. She thinks I'm going to meet her later at the restaurant. Can you tell her I'll have to cancel?" Mary glared at her younger sister but nodded anyways. She reached around Brandi to pull the car door open.

"Get in." Brandi sunk into the seat and Mary slammed the door shut. She started to walk away when Brandi stuck her head out of the open window.

"And you might want to check on Chico…he had to catch a cab back from physical therapy." Mary just waved a hand at her sister. She couldn't deal with her anymore. Once Mary was clear of the car, it backed out of the driveway and sped off down the road.

"You feed her lines?" Mary spun around, glaring at Bobby.

"You know, I'm really close to kicking you off my property. You and your smart ass."

"Hey, I just want a clean investigation." Mary rolled her eyes.

"I told her to keep her mouth shut until I can get a lawyer down to the station, ok. I didn't feed her lines. I didn't tell her an alibi. This is her mess." Bobby nodded, a small smile creeping onto his face.

"Now, get off my property." He held his hands up defensively and waved his people to head out. Mary watched them go and sunk down on the front step of the porch. She sat there in the New Mexico mid-day heat for a good five minutes before she pulled out her phone and hit number one on speed dial. It rang twice before the person on the other end picked up.

"Hello?"

"Do you know any good lawyers?" There was a pause on the other end.

"Why? You need one."

"Not exactly. So…do you know any or not?"

"Let me think for a minute." Mary was on her feet again, pacing in the grass, waiting for Marshall to do something.

"I know a few. I'll text them to you."

"Great…thanks." She ended the call and waited for him to send her the information. It took under a minute. She smiled in spite of herself. Marshall's useless knowledge was useful after all.

At the police station, Brandi sat in an interrogation room, staring at the drab walls. She sat hunched over, her hands still cuffed together. Bobby sat across from her but neither spoke.

"You sure I can't get you anything, something to drink?" Brandi shook her head.

"You know, you can answer that sort of question." Brandi let out a small laugh.

"I guess I've seen too many bad cop movies or something…" Bobby laughed as well, tapping his hands on the table. Brandi tried to scratch her cheek but found it nearly impossible. Bobby stood and brandished a set of keys.

"You don't need these anymore. You aren't going anywhere."

"Yeah…right." A knock came on the door and both looked up as a woman stuck her head in.

"Phone call for you, Detective." Bobby nodded and the woman walked into the room to watch over Brandi while he took the call. Brandi gave the officer a small smile before turning to look out the barred window. She just wanted to get this over with. Even though she knew what she had done was the right thing, it still meant ruining her own life in the process. It was a lose-lose situation for her.

A short time later, Mary pulled up to Raphael's house. She felt guilty about the way she'd been treating him lately but she had her reasons. He'd cheated on her after all. She shook her head and walked up to the front door. Her hand hesitated for a moment before knocking. The door was pulled open almost instantly.

"Mary. What are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to make sure you got home….Brandi called me and told me she couldn't take you home so…"

"Yeah…she's busy today. You want to come in?"

"Oh…I can't. I have to get back to work. I guess I just wanted to check up on you…" Raph nodded.

"Right." She turned and headed back to her car. He watched her go and let out a sigh. Why did she have to make everything so complicated? Just as she climbed into the car, Mary's phone began to ring.

"Hello?"

"Mary Shannon?" It was the lawyer Mary had called.

"Hi…yes."

"I just wanted to let you know I'm on my way to the police station now to meet with your sister."

"Great. Thank you so much for helping her." Mary hung up and let out a small sigh of relief. At least something was going right today, even for Brandi's screwed up situation.

Ten minutes later, the door to the interrogation room opened and a young woman with light brown hair walked in and extended a hand to Brandi. Brandi looked at the cop who didn't move. Brandi slowly stood up and shook the woman's hand.

"Ms. Shannon, I'm going to be your attorney."


	4. Options

Options

_Options_

Brandi looked at the woman dressed in a simple blue suit and smiled a little. Mary had pulled through for her. She'd gotten an attorney and in record time. The officer standing guard by the door shared a look with the attorney and stepped out. Just as she shut the door, Bobby appeared.

"Where are you going? You can't leave her in there by herself."

"I'm not. She's got a lawyer." Bobby peered through the one way glass to see the woman pulling a chair over to sit next to Brandi.

"So…you're my lawyer."

"Looks that way. You can call me Liv." Brandi just nodded. She wasn't sure what to say. She'd already told the police about her involvement with the drugs.

"I'm going to need you to tell me everything you know from the beginning."

"Ok well…I told the cops already about the suitcase and they found it." Liv pulled out a pad and pen from her briefcase and started to scribble down notes.

"My boyfriend, Chuck…well I kind of wish he wasn't my boyfriend but he's big into drugs and selling them. I went along with it for a while…he made some good money and took care of me, you know." Liv nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"Well we he set up this deal out here in New Mexico with a guy and so I flew out a few months ago with the drugs…in my suitcase."

"So you were going to make the sale?"

"He wants me to. But…I just don't feel right about it. Maybe I've been hanging around my sister and Chico too long….they can be a bad influence." She laughed as Liv sat in confusion.

"Your sister and who?"

"Oh…Chico…Raphael…her ex boyfriend. He's cool…for being my sister's ex and all."

"So what made you decide to turn the drugs and yourself in?"

"I guess I just didn't want to do it anymore. I mean Chuck doesn't really love me…he just uses me. I don't' want that anymore." Liv leaned back in the metal chair, looking pensive. The interrogation room fell silent as Liv thought. Outside, Bobby watched them carefully. He didn't know the attorney but he assumed Mary used some of her ties to get her there.

On the other side of town, Mary pulled into her usual parking spot and cut the engine. She'd told Stan she wouldn't be back but she couldn't just sit around and do nothing while Brandi toiled down at police headquarters. So she walked through the front door of the building and up her office. Marshall sat at his desk, his fingers flying over the keyboard in front of him.

"How'd it go with that lawyer?"

"Uh…fine."

"Want to tell me what's going on?"

"Nope." Mary slid into her chair and just stared at the blank computer screen in front of her. How could she be this listless? Mary didn't get restless over family. She just got pissed off. Yet here she was, brooding over her baby sister's fate. Marshall watched her sit there and couldn't keep quiet.

"Come on…something's going on. You know I'll find out eventually." She turned to look at him and let out a frustrated breath.

"It's Brandi. She got arrested this morning." Marshall looked surprised. He did know Brandi very well but from Mary muttered every now and then didn't suggest she was the kind of person to get arrested.

"What did she do?"

"Something to do with drugs. You know…she kept them in the house." He let out a low whistle.

"Not so bright."

"You're telling me. God, I should have known something was up, her just showing up at my door like that."

"What do you think will happen?"

"I'm hoping the lawyer I got her can get her a decent deal."

"Who did you get to represent her?" Mary checked the call log on her phone.

"Liv Serna."

"Good choice. She does a lot of drug cases…she's been involved with a few federal cases." Mary just let out a groan as Marshall turned back to his computer.

Back at the police station, Bobby was pacing back and forth in front of the door to the interrogation room. He'd given them amble time to talk. So with one last look through the window, eh pushed the door open and walked in

"Ready to answer some questions now?" Brandi looked to Live who nodded.

"Yeah…I guess so. Let's do it." Bobby leaned on the table.

"Before you try and get your client out of here, you should know we have the evidence to hold her."

"I understand that, Detective. My client is willing to cooperate as best she can. And given the fact that she came to you first shows considerable good faith in a continued effort." Bobby cleared his throat and stood up.

"Brandi…you seem like a nice girl." Brandi nodded.

"Now…since those drugs cross state lines, this is out of my hands. The case is going to be handled by the Feds. So the US Attorney here in Albuquerque will be prosecuting the case."

"So…what does that mean?"

"It means you'll probably have to spend a night in jail while he reviews the case. Brandi's head landed on her arms on the table.

"Unless you can convince the US Attorney to agree to a meeting set for this afternoon." Bobby ran a hand over his neck.

"I'll see what I can do. For now, we're going to have to bring her to lock up." Bobby motioned for Brandi to stand up. Liv gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'll be back when I hear anything about a bail hearing. Don't worry; we'll have you out of lock up by tomorrow. I promise." Brandi just nodded hesitantly as Bobby led her out of the room. Liv stood in the interrogation room for a moment or two, a thought beginning to percolate in her mind. She would have to discuss it with Brandi but she would be foolish not to take the deal if the US Attorney agreed to the terms.

The afternoon passed by quickly despite Brandi's nerves making her pace back and forth. Around two o'clock, Liv returned with a broad smile.

"We've got a meeting with the US Attorney at two-thirty. Let's get going." Brandi shoved her hands in her pockets as she followed Liv out of the station. She felt odd not carrying her purse but the cops had confiscated it when they'd locked her up.

"Shouldn't the police be bringing me there?"

"I talked to Detective Dershowitz and he said it would be fine for me to drive you. It's not far." Just as Brandi started to drift off, the car stopped moving. She looked around her to see they had arrived at a large white building.

"So what…do I do? I mean do I have to plead guilty or anything?"

"No. We're just going to talk with the US Attorney about the case and see whether we need to take it to trial. I'll do all the talking."

"Ok." Brandi bit the inside of her lip as she walked next to Liv. The walk from the car to the front door felt as though she was somehow walking to her death and that scared her. They stopped at the front desk and Liv signed them in. The woman sitting at the computer looked a Brandi for a moment before handing over visitor's badges.

"We've got to go up a few floors." Brandi just nodded silently and kept up. The usual urge to talk to keep herself calm had failed several hours ago. Brandi had determined it was safer to just not say anything unless directly asked a question. Before Brandi realized it, they walked into a large conference room.

"Why don't you have a seat? There are a few things I'd like to go over before the US Attorney gets here." As she spoke, Liv pulled out some additional notes she'd written to herself and smoothed the edges of her skirt. Brandi slid into one of the chairs next to her. She smiled a little as she wiggled back against the soft leather.

"I'm going to do my best to get the US Attorney to agree to a plea."

"What plea?"

"It would involve your testimony against…" she checked her notes "Chuck and his other accomplices."

"He would kill me!" Her tone conveyed every ounce of fear she'd been holding back since she'd first set foot in the police station that morning.

"Not if I have any say in the matter." Just then there was a knock on the doorframe. Both women looked over to see a tall man with graying hair walk in. He wore a shirt and tie.

"Good afternoon, Counselor." He and Liv shook hands and they shared a small smile. Brandi got the distinct impression that they knew each other.

"I hope we haven't pulled you away something too pressing." He shook his head.

"What are you offering, Counselor?" She pushed a typed document across the table. Brandi craned her neck to try and read it but failed. After another minute or two, he set the paper down and leaned back to look a t Liv, a knowing smile on his lips.


	5. WITSEC

WITSEC

_WITSEC_

Brandi watched as Liv and the US Attorney exchanged a look. She looked helplessly as the US Attorney seemed to be contemplating the offer Liv had drawn up. As Brandi sat there, she wondered whether Liv was supposed to show her before they got to the meeting.

"Have you discussed the option with your client?"

"Briefly."

"Wait…whoah hold on…what did we discuss?" Liv turned to look at Brandi, handing her a copy of the proposed plea agreement. Brandi scanned the pages, trying to digest the information as quickly as she could. They had discussed her testifying against Chuck and his co-conspirators but the information on the second page was completely new.

"Uh...so someone tell me what this means…if I agree to testify?" The US Attorney pushed away from the table, giving the two women a little privacy.

"Federal Witness Protection."

"What's that like police outside my house and stuff?"

"No…I'm afraid it's more involved than that. It would require you to relocate until the trial. You'd assume a new identity. You'd essentially be an entirely new person."

Brandi sat back, trying to comprehend the information. It didn't seem too hard. And the way Liv said it, it sounded like it was only temporary.

"So Chuck couldn't find me?"

"As long as you followed the rules, no one could find you. We can't get into all of the details of the program now but it's really the only option we have to avoid any jail time."

"Ok…then let's do it."

"Counselor, you might want to advise your client to consider the option carefully."

"Hey…I'm in the room you know," Brandi snapped.

"And I did think about it. If it means I can still do the right thing and get out of going to jail, then it doesn't seem too bad to me."

"It may seem that way –" Liv cut him off.

"Counselor, my client has made her decision." He nodded and exhaled through hiss nose.

"I'll see if I can get a hearing in the morning to discuss bail."

"You mean I have to spend the night in jail…"

"Just one night. Ii think you handle it." Liv tried her best to sound reassuring. Brandi bit the inside of her lip again but nodded. They all stood and the two attorneys shook hands briefly.

"I'll have my secretary call your office with a time for tomorrow."

Liv patted Brandi on the shoulder as they made their way down to the elevator. Neither spoke as they waited or as they descended to the lobby.

"Do you think…" She paused. She wanted to ask if she could call her mother to let her know she was ok but as she thought about it, the question sounded childish.

"Never mind." She would let Mary handle telling Jinx.

"I'll be back in the morning. You'll be ok." They reached Liv's car and got in. Brandi turned her gaze towards the scenery around them as Liv put the car in drive and sped out of the parking lot.

Downtown, Mary pulled into a parking spot and let out a breath. What was she supposed to tell her mother? She knew Jinx wouldn't believe that Brandi was in serious trouble. It had nothing to do with Brandi being the baby of the family. Half the time, their mother was too drunk to comprehend much of anything. After sitting in her car for a few more minutes, Mary climbed out and walked towards the front door. The light lunch crowd was just clearing out, giving Mary the privacy she would need to talk with Jinx.

"Mary, sweetie!" Jinx rounded the counter and threw her arms around her daughter.

"Hi Mom." Jinx seemed oblivious to Mary's serious tone.

"Sit down….do you want something to eat?"

"No…I'm fine. Mom, I need to talk to you."

"Oh sure honey. Have a seat." They moved to one of the booths near the back of the restaurant. Mary stared at her hands, folded on thee table in front of her.

"It's about Brandi."

"Oh…she's still coming to stop by for dinner right? I told her lunch but…well lunch is over."

"No, Mom…she's not going to be stopping by."

"Oh…ok then." Jinx started to stand up when Mary caught her by the wrist.

"Mom, this is serious. Brandi was arrested this morning."

"That's ridiculous."

"Yeah, well it's true. They tore the place apart."

"What? Is…the house….did they break anything?"

"No…but the house is a mess."

"Why did they arrest her? That's so silly. She didn't do anything wrong."

"She was hiding a suitcase of crystal meth in her closet." Jinx opened her mouth to say something but found no sound would pass over her vocal chords.

"No…that can't be…why would she do that?"

"I don't know."

"Is she going to jail?"

"I don't know…all I know is that they took her down to police headquarters this morning."

"We have to go see her."

"No, we have to go home and clean the place up. And I'm going to file a complaint with the city, that's for damn sure." Mary stood up, pulling her keys from her pocket. Jinx sat staring blankly at the now vacated seat across from her.

"Mom…are you coming?"

"Oh….yes…sure." She stood slowly, as if moving too quickly was painful. She knew enough to punch out before following her daughter out to the car.

The evening passed by slowly. Jinx just sat in her room amidst the strewn clothing half-exposed drawers. Mary did her best to put her room back together before walking into Brandi's room and shutting the door. She looked around.

"What the hell were you thinking, Squish?" She moved through the room, picking through the piles of clothes and shoes. Of all the thoughts that could have gone through Mary's mind at that moment, she couldn't stop from wondering why her sister had so many shoes and where she'd put them all when she'd come. Mary spotted a box of tissues sitting on the night table and grabbed several to keep from getting her fingerprints on items. She spent the better part of an hour combing every in of the room to see if the cops had missed something. She wanted to be absolutely sure there weren't any drugs left in the house.

That night passed slowly for Brandi as well. She sat curled up in a cell, her head resting against the wall. She tried to sleep but found the whole experience to be too nerve-wracking. Around one in the morning, she got up and started to pace around small space, attracting one of the night guards.

"Something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh…just can't sleep…I guess. Sorry." She sat back down. He looked at her with a half-interested expression on his face before moving down the cell block.

By the time morning came, Brandi was exhausted and could barely keep her eyes open. She barely noticed when Liv arrived around 8:30. The guard unlocked the cell door and motioned for Brandi to step out. She walked, zombie-like out of the station and into Liv's car.

"Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Not really. I tried…just couldn't."

"Hopefully this won't take long. We should be able to get the judge to agree to release you into your own custody."

"So I can go home."

"Yes."

"Thank God." The drive seemed shorter the second time around, despite her exhaustion. They walked into a court room on the first floor and sat down in the back of the room. The US Attorney stood at a desk in the front of the court room, addressing the judge.

"When do we go up?"

"The Bailiff will call your case number and we'll go up." Much to Brandi's annoyance, there were about twenty cases ahead of hers on the morning's docket. She leaned back in the chair, listening to judge and other attorneys as their voices wafted to the back of the room. She was almost asleep with Liv nudged her shoulder.

"Come on. We're up." Brandi ran a hand through her hair and straightened her skirt. She tried to smile up at the judge but he seemed to be looking right past her.

"Counselors? What is the status of this case?"

"We've reached an agreement with the government, Your Honor. We will be acting upon the agreement within twenty four hours. For that time, we would like to request the defendant be released under their own recognizance," Liv explained. The judge turned to look at the US Attorney.

"Any objections?"

"No Your Honor. The government is amenable to ROR." The judge nodded and made a note in the case jacket.

"Defendant is released on ROR. The plea will be fulfilled within twenty four hours."

"Next case." Brandi turned to Liv and gave her a hug before they left the court room.

"So what happens now?" They waited for the US Attorney to join them.

"I'll send the Marshalls to your address. You'll have the rest of the day to pack and say your goodbyes. Tomorrow your new life begins, Ms. Shannon."


	6. The Truth about Mary

The Truth about Mary

_The Truth about Mary_

Mary walked into the kitchen later the next morning and had just enough time to start a pot of coffee when her phone began to ring. She pulled it out of her pocket and answered.

"Hello?"

"Mary, it's Marshall."

"What's up?"

"We just got a call from the US Attorney. We've got to prepare a new witness to be transported." Mary let out a breath as she let the machine begin to percolate.

"Where do we have to go?" Marshall gave her the address and Mary nearly dropped her phone.

"Mary, you there?" She tried to form words but nothing came out. She waited a minute or two and tried again.

"Yeah uh…you do know that's my address."

"I did actually. You going to tell me what your sister did now?"

"No. Look, I'll be here. I can handle this."

"I think it would be easier for everyone if I was there." Mary let out a breath.

"Fine." She hung up the phone and sunk into a chair. She couldn't believe this. Brandi was going into the programs. But…wasn't that what she'd been hoping for. Despite Brandi's massive screw up, Mary wanted her sister to be safe and out of danger. Moments later, Jinx walked in, looking tired.

"Mom, did you sleep at all last night?" She shook her head.

"I'm so worried about Brandi. It must have been awful being in jail last night."

"Yeah well…I thin she'll be home soon enough." Jinx just nodded and sat down at the center island. Mother and daughter sat in silence while coffee brewed. By the time it had finished, a knock came on the front door.

"I'll get it." Mary left her cup at her seat and went to answer the door. Without a word, she let Marshall in.

"She here yet?"

"No. Uh…why don't you wait in here?"

"Why? I've met your mom before."

"I don't want to have to explain everything twice. So just…sit down. You want some coffee?" Marshall sat down on the couch.

"Sure."

Mary returned to kitchen to find Jinx standing in front of the toaster. She didn't seem to notice that they had a guest. Mary didn't say anything either. The longer she didn't have to explain her job to her family, the better. She quietly poured Marshall a cup of coffee and brought it back to him.

"So…"

"No. Ask me one more time and I'll smack you." He held his hands up defensively but said nothing.

On the highway, Liv and Brandi weaved through the mid morning traffic. Brandi fiddled with her purse straps. She wasn't sure what she was going to tell Mary and Jinx. She new Mary already knew that she'd been arrested. But had she told their mother? In the driver seat, Liv looked over and reached to pat Brandi on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, it will be ok."

"But…what do I tell them?"

"You tell them the truth. There will be US Marshals there to help you explain everything." Brandi let out a sigh as they pulled into the driveway. Mary's car was still there as well as a car she didn't recognize. Liv cut the engine and they climbed out in silence. Brandi felt as if she were waling to her death as she walked up the stairs and through the front door.

"Mom? Mary?" Jinx raced from the kitchen and threw her arms around Brandi.

"You had me so worried, sweetie."

"I'm ok, Mom." She looked over to see Mary sitting next to Marshall on the couch.

"Where are the US Marshals?" she asked. Marshall shared a look with Mary and stood up.

"That'd be us." Brandi couldn't help but laugh.

"No, seriously…where are they?"

"He's telling the truth, Brandi." Mary pulled her badge from her pocket and handed it to her sister. Brandi just stood shaking her head in disbelief.

"I don't…" Liv cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the room.

"I think we'd better sit down." Mary perched on the arm of the couch, ready to begin pacing if she had to. Marshall moved over so Brandi and Jinx could sit down as well.

"I take it you didn't know your sister worked with Marshal Service?"

"Well we knew she did something with the government but…" Jinx began but Brandi cut her off.

"So…you knew all about this…program thing?"

"Yeah, Brandi. I know all about it."

"Program? What program? A drug program?"

"God, no Mom. And I don't have a drug problem." She glared at Mary.

"I didn't say you did, Squish."

"But what's this program?" Jinx persisted. Mary let out a breath.

"The Federal Witness Protection Program."

"What does that mean?" Mary was on her feet, pacing the living room.

"It means that Brandi packs up her stuff and gets moved to a new city. She gets a new identity, a new life in exchange for a plea with the government. I'm guessing you agreed to testify against Chuck?" Brandi nodded.

"I just…I can't believe you knew all about this stuff and you didn't tell me before."

"I can't tell you what I do, Brandi. It's part of my job. I have to stay anonymous just as much as my witnesses do."

"If I can just say something." Mary nodded, trying to stop pacing.

"The plea we have with the US Attorney states she has to be transported within twenty-four hours. So you're going to have to move fast." Jinx wrapped a hand around Brandi's arm.

"I don't want to lose you, baby."

"She can bring family into the program with her," Marshall interjected.

"Ok…see that's good…you guys can come with me."

"I can't go into the program, Brandi," Mary said with a huff.

"Why not?"

"Weren't you just listening? I have my own witnesses to take care of. I spend my time making sure people like you follow the rules and don't screw up."

"But…I don't wan to lose either of you. You're all I've got,' Jinx sniffled.

"Mom…you should go. The trial will take a few months." Before she could say anything more, Marshall interrupted her.

"Wherever you are sent, the Marshals there will explain the rules of the program. We're just here to help you get packed and off to headquarters."

"Where…where will I go?"

"Don't know, Squish and honestly, we can't know. As a family member, once you're in the program, we lose all contact."

"We can't even call?"

"Nothing. No calls, no mail, no email, no text messages." Brandi turned to look at Liv.

"This doesn't sound so great now."

"After the trial, you can always opt out of the program; go back to your past life."

"Look, Squish. You made a deal with the government to testify against Chuck to stay out of jail. You're going to have to go into the program. I really think Mom should go with you. You won't be alone." Jinx wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I need a drink."

"Mom…be serious, ok. This is…this is big," Brandi begged. Jinx looked to her youngest daughter and let out a sigh.

"What do we have to do? What do we bring?" Mary cleared her throat.

"You need to each pack two suitcases. Bring mostly clothes. Nothing that can tie you back to this life." Marshall stood up and looked at the Shannon women.

"I'll call for a car. Why don't you help them pack."

"Yeah. Ok." Mary turned to her mother and sister.

"Come on, let's go." Brandi pushed herself up off the couch and dragged her mother with her. Mary followed them upstairs, leaving Marshall and Liv alone.

"Thanks for helping with this, Liv."

"I thought you might have been the one handing out my number."

"One of the best lawyers I know."

"Thanks." He nodded and stepped out of the room to make his call

Upstairs Brandi looked around her room. It was somewhat neater than she'd expected. Mary walked in behind her.

"You have another suitcase right?"

"What?"

"You have another suitcase."

"Oh…uh yeah I guess so." She sunk down on her bed and ran a hand through her hair.

"God I screwed up, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did."

"You're supposed to reassure me."

"I can't. You put all of us in a bad position, Brandi. Do you get how much that could put my job in jeopardy?"

"Look…can we not do the disappointed sister lecture. I don't think I can handle it right now."

"Fine. Pack your stuff. I'll be back in ten minutes."

"Yeah…ok." She watched Mary walk out of the room and Brandi set about gathering what she could. Mary walked into the next room to find Jinx just sitting on her bed, staring at empty suitcases. She was nursing a bottle of vodka. Mary took it from her hands and set it on the dresser, temporarily out of reach.

"Mom, come on. The car's going to be here soon and you two need to get out of town."

"How did we get so messed up? I…what happened?"

"Life happened, Mom. People do stupid things, especially when it comes to Brandi. Now let's go. We don't have time to sit and wallow." Mary began packing clothes into the suitcases on the floor. Jinx sat numbly, watching her eldest daughter move about the room. A short time later, a knock came on the door frame. Marshall stood in the doorway.

"Car's here."

"Great. Can you get Brandi."

"You got it." With that, Marshall disappeared from view. Mary offered a hand to her mother, pulling her to her feet. Together they dragged the suitcases down the stairs and out the front door. Marshall stood next to Brandi as another Marshal put her bags in the back of his SUV.

"Do I at least get a goodbye hug from my big sister?" Mary couldn't help but smile a little in spite of herself. She pulled Brandi into a hug, holding her tightly.

"Go on, get out of here." She gave her mother a quick hug as well and watched them climb into the car. As it drove away, Marshall placed a hand on her shoulder.

"So…what are you thinking now?" he asked.

"I'm thinking…I just got my house back."


	7. Elk River

Elk River

_Elk River_

The car sped down the highway, taking Brandi and Jinx farther from Albuquerque. They weren't sure where they were going or what exactly was going to happen next but they kept quiet. Brandi go the feeling her mother just needed the silence to get over the shock. The car came to an abrupt halt and Liv turned around in her seat.

"We're here." Brandi looked out the window to see a barren stretch of land.

"Where is here exactly?"

"Air field under the auspices of the federal government. You get a private jet to where you're going. You'll be met by Marshals when you land. They'll explain the agreement in more detail as well as the rules of the program."

"Oh…what about the trial and stuff? Like…what happens with that?"

"I'll be in contact with the Marshals. They'll get you where you need to be to testify." Brandi just nodded as she unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed from the SUV. Jinx watched her daughter get out of the car and followed suit as if she were some sort of drone. They were led to a small jet on an airstrip a few feet away, their suitcases being pulled along behind them.

"Good luck." Liv couldn't help but pull Brandi into a firm hug.

"Thanks." With that, Brandi and Jinx boarded the jet, getting situated as the pilot shut the cabin door and began to taxi out onto the runway. Jinx looked around and spotted the bar on the right side of the plane. She reached in and found a tiny bottle of vodka. She uncorked it and tossed the contents back in one gulp.

"Mom…take it easy, ok."

"Don't tell me to take it easy. One daughter gets arrested for drugs and the other turns out to be some double agent…don't tell me to take it easy."

"Mary isn't a double agent, Mom…she just works for the government." They fell silent as the jet lifted off from the ground. Brandi watched the ground get smaller as they rose higher into the air until it was only a blur through the layer of clouds.

"Where are we going?" Jinx asked after several drinks.

"I don't know. They didn't tell us."

"I need another drink."

"No, Mom you've had enough. Just…sit down." After a slight struggle, Brandi managed to subdue her mother enough to get the seatbelt on. Another ten minutes passed before Brandi noticed her mother had dozed off.

"She's got the right idea." Brandi rested her head against the window pane and closed her eyes, trying to sleep. She was exhausted from not sleeping the night before. The plane's tugging motion through the air lulled her to sleep.

Back in New Mexico, Mary sat in the kitchen, looking around. The house felt empty already, like when she'd first bought it. She let out a sigh as she ran a hand over the counter. She knew she had done the right thing by not going with Brandi. She hoped her mother could at least provide some stability for her sister. Mary was about to head upstairs to try and clear out the two now unoccupied rooms when a knock resounded on the front door. She came down the two steps she'd gone up to answer it.

"What do you want?" Bobby D stood on the other side of the threshold.

"I wanted to apologize." Mary cleared her throat, shoving one hand into her pants pocket.

"Come in." He stepped through the doorframe and followed Mary to the living room. She pushed a few pages of the newspaper off the couch to allow him to sit down.

"So why are you really here? If you're looking for Brandi, she's gone."

"I meant what I just said, Mary. I wanted to apologize for tearing your house apart."

"Yeah well you're lucky I'm not suing the department." He gave a small laugh.

"So…let me guess, you can't tell me where your sister is."

"No. I can't. So don't even go there, ok. It's out of your jurisdiction."

"Alright. I get it. I should probably go. If there's anything I can do…just give me a call."

"Yeah…ok." She watched him walk out of her house and let out a soft groan. As she sat there, a thought popped into her head. What was she going to tell Raphael? He would not doubt ask questions when Brandi and Jinx weren't around anymore. She shook her head. She couldn't worry about that now.

Several hours later, the jet landed in a remote air strip, much like the one they'd taken off from. As predicted, two US Marshals were waiting with a car when Brandi and Jinx disembarked. They gathered their belongings and climbed into the back seat.

"Welcome to Elk River," one of the Marshals said.

"Uh…what state are we in?" Brandi asked.

"Minnesota."

"Do people actually live here?" Jinx scoffed.

"They probably say that about Albuquerque too, Mom." The Marshal driving the car laughed at her comment.

"We'll be getting you ladies settled once we go over the rules of the program and explain your obligations."

"Can we get something to eat first? I kind of haven't eaten anything since yesterday."

"We'll see what we can find at the office."

The drive to headquarters took a little over thirty minutes from the airstrip and Brandi could see that her mother was getting anxious. She knew she needed food before she started to go nuts. They car pulled into a spot in front of a large brick building and the two Marshals led Brandi and Jinx inside. Their luggage remained in the car as one of the Marshals went in search of food while they took seats in a small room. Two large bound files sat on the table in front of the other Marshal.

"I'm Marshal Greene and that's my partner, Marshal Townsend," he said, extending a hand. Brandi and Jinx shook his hand gingerly as his partner returned with some bagels and coffee.

"It's all we had on hand right now. I hope it's ok."

"It's fine. Thanks." Marshal Townsend took a seat across from Brandi and opened the large file.

"So…what's this?"

"These are the rules of the Federal Witness Protection Program." Brandi's eyes widened.

"That's…a lot of rules." Townsend gave Brandi a nod, pointing to the food.

"Why don't you eat first? We can explain the rules once you've got something in your system." Jinx happily reached for a bagel and a cup of coffee. It would help to sober her up from the plane ride.

A short time later, Townsend and Greene had launched into the mountain of WITSEC rules. Brandi and Jinx just listened carefully as every item in the packet was read and explained in detail.

"The witness may not hold a job in any profession he or she has previously held."

"That won't be a problem…never had a job anyway," Brandi muttered.

"Upon entering the program, the witness will cease all communication with family, friends, associates and acquaintances from his or her past."

"We already heard that one. My-" Jinx began but Brandi cut her off.

"Mom, be quiet and let them finish." Jinx just sipped her coffee.

"Your inclusion in the Federal Witness Protection Program is contingent upon fulfilling your obligation to testify." Brandi nodded.

"Is that it?" Marshal Greene nodded, taking a pen out of his jacket pocket. He handed it to Brandi and she signed the last page o the packet before handing the pen to her mother.

"So what now?" Jinx asked.

"We're going to get you settled. We've compiled your new identities. If you're going to be successful in the program, you're going to need to learn your identities and stick to them." A brief silence filled the room as Brandi and Jinx finished their bagels and coffee.

"Come on, I'll drive you over to your new apartment. It's not far." Brandi and Jinx left the room.

"I'll bring the back stories over once they're settled," Greene informed his partner.

"See you in a few."

Brandi and Jinx found themselves back in the car, driving down a fairly empty road. As Marshal Townsend pulled up to a stop light, Brandi leaned forward.

"So…how many people live here? Like…it's not some little hick town is it?" The woman in the driver seat let out a slow breath.

"We've got a little over twenty two thousand residents in the area. It's not big but it's not so small. And we are definitely not a hick town. Doubt you'd like people calling New Mexico full of hicks." Brandi looked away in embarrassment as Townsend accelerated the vehicle through the light. Ten minutes more and they pulled into a multi-story apartment complex. This time, Jinx and Brandi retrieved their suitcases and walked up to the third floor and down to the end of the hallway. Marshal Townsend rifled in her pocket for the keys and unlocked the door.

"Here you go, home sweet home." Brandi and Jinx walked around, inspecting the two bedroom apartment. It would do.


	8. Settled In

Settled In

_Settled In_

Time passed slowly as Brandi and Jinx began unpacking what belongings they'd brought with them. Marshal Townsend gave them as much space as she could while she waited for her partner to arrive. In one of the bedrooms, Brandi sat just staring at the surroundings. The walls were bare, hardly lived in. Even the bed seemed as if no one had slept in it. As she sat there, her suitcase half empty, she couldn't stop wondering if she'd really done the right thing. Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Townsend stuck her head in.

"How's it going in here?"

Brandi rubbed at her eyes for a moment and stood up. "Uh…it's going ok I guess. Thanks."

Townsend nodded. "Let me know if you need anything."

In the next room, Jinx simply laid down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. The Marshal had spent a good ten minutes listening to the woman rant about how her children were ruining her life. Thankfully, her partner had arrived. The two Marshals sequestered themselves in the kitchen to speak in private.

"How are they doing?'

"Well…Brandi still looks a little dazed by the whole situation and her mother…could use a really good therapist."

He let out a soft laugh. "Got to love the job, you get all the crazies."

Their conversation was cut short by Brandi wandering in. "Oh…sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt or anything."

"No need to apologize. It's your kitchen," Greene replied.

"I did the right thing, right?" It came out before she could stop herself. She let out a nervous laugh and sunk into one of the chairs by the table.

Greene and Townsend shared a look and Greene took a seat across from Brandi. "You're not sure you did?" He'd always been able to connect with his witnesses.

Brandi exhaled slowly and looked at the man seated across from her. "I don't know…I mean….I didn't want to hurt Chuck. I love him but it just wasn't…it wasn't fair. He was using me." She didn't notice Townsend leave the room.

"It's hard to make the right decision sometimes but it's going to be fine. He's not going to hurt you or use you anymore. We're going to make sure of that."

"Thanks." She looked down at her hands. She'd needed someone to reaffirm her decision. She looked up to see Greene giving her a kind smile and she couldn't help but smile back. "My Mom thinks I'm nuts…that I'm ruining her life."

He didn't know what to say. It was clear that Jinx wasn't altogether there or stable. But it wasn't his place to point that out. So he just reached across the table and gave her hand a squeeze.

"You'll adjust. Just give it some time."

"Time…yeah. Ok."

He stood and motioned for her to follow suit. "Come on. Let's get you acquainted with your new identity."

Brandi followed him into the small living room to find her mother and the other Marshal going over Jinx's new identity. Greene handed Brandi a folder and watched her sit down to examine it. She opened it to find a picture of herself with the name Brandi Rawley printed neatly beside it. She couldn't help but snicker a little at the name. It sounded…strange to her. But that didn't matter; it was who she was now.

"If you have any questions, just let us know," Greene said, leaning over her shoulder.

She gave a brief nod before feeling the weight on the back of the chair shift. Marshals Greene and Townsend left mother and daughter to get familiar with their new identities. They would return in the morning to get them situated with jobs and funds.

Evening passed quickly and Brandi found herself more exhausted than she'd realized. She kept her eyes open long enough to bid goodnight to her mother before crawling into the barely-slept-in bed and passing out.

Jinx sat in the living room nursing a cup of lukewarm tea until the early hours of the morning. She could barely process all that happened in the last few days. To find out one daughter was a federal Marshal and the other had to be placed in the government's protection just to avoid a jail sentence was beyond anything she'd ever expected. Certainly her life had not been normal or simple, but she thought she could at least make some sense out of it.

The next morning, Brandi awoke to find her mother slumped over on the couch, tea cup hanging precariously from one hand. As gently as possible, Brandi pried the handle from her mother's fingers. She stood for a moment, just taking her mother in.

"We'll get through this…we have to."

Just as she headed for the kitchen, a sharp knock resounded on the door. She paused for a moment, uncertain as to who would be knocking on their door this early. Shrugging her nervousness off, she opened the door to find Marshal Greene standing across the threshold.

"Morning," he greeted.

Brandi immediately began tugging at her hair, averting her gaze in embarrassment. "Hi...I…uh come in."

He walked into the apartment and shut the door softly behind him. "I didn't wake you did I?"

"No…I've been up for a while." She waved her mother's cup of tea as weak evidence to back her claim. Feeling very awkward, she set the cup down on the table next to her.

"So…can I get you something…Coffee?"

"No thanks. I stopped by to see if you wanted to go out to grab something to eat and see our little town."

Brandi glanced at Jinx, still oblivious to everything around her. "Sure. Just give me a minute to put something else on."

He gave her a polite nod and watched her walk into her room. She emerged minutes later, purse in hand. Brandi paused next to the couch. A part of her felt guilty for leaving her mother alone in a new place so soon but they would both have to get acquainted with the town. She hastily found a blanket and draped it over Jinx's sleeping form.

"Let's go," she said, turning to face Greene.

"After you."

The drive from the apartment to a twenty-four hour diner was quiet as Brandi took in the new sights. She'd been so tired the previous day she hadn't noticed what was around her.

"Don't worry…you'll find your way around easily enough." His voice broke her private musings.

Another minute or two and the car pulled to a complete stop in the parking lot. They climbed out and made their way inside. Shortly, the pair found themselves sitting at a table glancing over menus.

"So…Marshal-"

He cut her off. "Please, call me Aaron. We're supposed to be friends, remember."

She nodded. "Right…friends. So…what happens now? I mean we're in the program…what do we do now?"

He cleared his throat as the waitress approached. "Can you give us a minute? I don't think we're ready yet."

The waitress nodded and walked back the way she'd come. Brandi turned back to Aaron, eyebrow raised.

"It's best if people don't hear us talking about this. But, to answer your question, the next step is to get you and your mom jobs. We have limited funds that we start all witnesses out with. But after a point, you've got to be self sustaining."

"How long is that…like…ok. We're not so good about you know…supporting ourselves."

"How did you afford where you lived in New Mexico?"

"I lived with my sister. It was her house. I didn't really work. And…when I was with Chuck…he supported me too."

Aaron reached across the table and lightly patted her hand. "I'll make sure you make it. I promise."

She blushed. "Thanks." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the waitress moving back towards them. "So…what's good here?"

He laughed and flipped through the menu. "They've got pretty decent omelets."

"That sounds really good." Brandi set her menu down just as the waitress reached their table.

"Ready to order?"

Both Brandi and Aaron nodded. They placed their orders and settled in to wait. Some five minutes later the waitress returned with their drinks.

"Your orders should be up soon."

"So…what is there to do for fun around here? Are there any good clubs or anything like that?"

"Uh well…I suppose some time I could show you the night life. It's not much but we like it."

Brandi couldn't help but laugh at his facial expression. He was trying to look serious but he couldn't keep a straight face. As the morning light shone through the window to their left, she noticed how it reflected in his eyes. He was definitely attractive.

Aaron caught her staring and cleared his throat, trying to snap her back to reality. She gave him a confused look for a moment before realizing he'd noticed.

"I'm sorry…you must think I'm so spacey."

"No, not at all."

"I bet you say that to all your wit-friends." She caught herself.


	9. Coping Mechanisms

Coping Mechanisms

_Coping Mechanisms_

Three months had gone by since Brandi and Jinx had gone into Witness Protection. In Albuquerque, Mary sat in the kitchen enjoying the silence of the house. She'd been able to set the house up the way she'd originally intended, minus the bullet room. She glanced over the front page of the paper as she waited for the coffee to finish brewing. Mary had to admit, she did miss her mother and sister every now and then. The house was awfully large for one person. She was so focused on the paper that she didn't hear the front door open.

"Mary?"

She looked up at the sound of her name being called. "Raph…what are you doing here?"

Things had been strange between them since Brandi's departure. Mary hadn't told him what had happened but she got the feeling he knew something.

"I just want to stop by and see how you were. Maybe we could go out…to dinner sometime?"

Mary couldn't hide a smile. She took the few steps to close the distance between them and laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'd like that. How about tonight…pick me up at seven?"

He looked surprised at her response but it quickly dissolved into a contented smile. "I'll pick you up at seven." He leaned down and kissed her.

She returned the gesture, wrapping her arms around his neck. They stood together, wrapped in each others' arms, enjoying the moment until a loud gurgling sound caught Raphael's attention. He pulled out of the kiss and looked over her shoulder.

"Uh…Mary?"

"What?"

"I think your coffee is going to…explode."

She spun around to see the pot rattling in the coffee maker, threatening to spill the contents. Mary rushed forward and grabbed the pot, shutting the machine off. She pulled the pot out and took a sniff, wrinkling her nose.

"Great….it's ruined."

"I buy you a cup of coffee. Come on."

She dumped the contents into the sink and grabbed her keys and jacket. It couldn't hurt to just get a cup of coffee before work with him. She could drop him off back at his place before she headed to the office.

"So…where do you want me to drop you off?" she asked as they pulled up to a stop sign.

"My place is fine."

She nodded. "So where were you thinking of going tonight?"

"Wherever you want to go."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye via the rearview mirror. "You pick. I hate picking."

"Ok…it will be a surprise."

A short time later, Mary had gotten her necessary morning dose of caffeine and dropped Raph at his place. She pulled into her parking spot just as her phone began to ring. She picked it up and climbed from the driver side.

"Hello?"

"Hey, you here yet?" Marshall asked on the other end.

"Yeah…just got out of my car. Why? We have somewhere to be I don't know about?"

"No…I was just going to ask if you could pick up some donuts."

She rolled her eyes. "Screw you." Minutes later she walked into the office and gave her partner a dark look.

Marshall just gave her a smirk and went back to browsing the files on his desk. He couldn't help messing with her every now and then. Now that she didn't have to worry about her family at home, she found fewer problems to bitch about.

Mary sat down at her desk and looked through the files waiting for her. As she flipped through the contents, she couldn't help but feel the curiosity building in the back of her mind. Where were Brandi and Jinx? What were they doing? Had they adjusted to their new lives? Were they following the rules? Myriad questions whirred through her brain at light speed until she finally turned to her computer. She pulled the search page for the Bureau and was about to type in Brandi's name when Marshall leaned over her shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing…"

"Doesn't look like nothing."

"I was just…curious."

"Curious? About what?"

"What do you think?"

"Mary…you can't."

Mary rolled her eyes again and motioned for him to move closer. There was no need for Stan to overhear their conversation. Marshall wheeled his chair as close as he could get without encroaching too much on her space.

"I know I can't but…I just…I'm worried. They could barely hold themselves together when I was paying for the house, for everything." A pause. "You and I both know the Bureau only provides for witnesses for a certain length of time."

"I know you want to know how they're doing but it is out of our hands."

"God….this is what they feel isn't it."

"What who feels?"

"The families…the people left behind." She wore a stunned expression. It had taken three months to really set in. She'd lost her family and she wasn't going to see them again.

Marshall placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Come on…let's get to work. We'll find something to take your mind off of this."

She nodded and ran a hand through her hair, trying to think of anything but her mother and sister. "Raph and I are going to dinner tonight."

Marshall smiled. "Good. See there you go. Something positive to think about."

Some twelve hundred miles away, Brandi pushed a strand of hair from her eyes as she stood behind the register. It had been three months since she and Jinx had been relocated to Elk River and they had finally settled into a routine. They were both gainfully employed and were supporting themselves. Jinx was waitressing in the twenty-four hour diner and Brandi was working in the small mall at the heart of town. She had quickly moved from running the register to making sales.

"Miss…could you help me?" a familiar voice called.

Brandi looked up to see Jinx standing next to a rack of shirts and smiled a little. "Mom I thought you were working a double shift today."

"I am but I'm on my break. I thought I'd come see you. And I need a few things."

Brandi cleared her throat, feeling the manager's eyes on her. "What can I help you find?"

"Well I was thinking something…flashy."

"Flashy…ok why don't we go look back here." Brandi steered her mother towards the less expensive clothing and out of her manager's field of vision.

Jinx browsed the hangers on the wall next to her while Brandi went to look for a few items she believed would make her mother happy. When she retuned, Jinx had piled several tops over her arm.

"Do you want to try any of these on?"

"Oh honey you don't have to be all professional…she's not watching."

Brandi rolled her eyes. "I do have to be professional. You're a customer, Mom."

"Fine." Jinx let out a breath. "I'll try them all on I guess."

"You can take in three at a time." Brandi led her mother back to the dressing rooms and took the majority of the clothes from her mother.

"I'll be back." With that, Jinx shut the door to the small room.

Brandi stood outside waiting to exchange clothing when her manager walked up. Brandi immediately straightened her posture and stopped toying with the hem of one of the shirts.

"How are things going?"

"Oh…good. She's got a lot to try on. I'm just…waiting."

"I see that. Let's hope she buys something."

"I'm sure she will. She needs some things for work."

"Well just remember…employee discount doesn't apply to family." With that, her manager walked away.

"Honey…what do you think?"

Brandi turned to see Jinx in a flattering yet low cut top. "Not for work. But…I like it."

"Oh good." She was about to take the next handful and return to the stall when Brandi stopped her.

"Mom…just look at prices ok? I can't give you a discount."

"Oh…right of course." Jinx took the mass of hangers from her daughter's arms and examined them quickly. She put the majority of them on the hanger mounted to the wall.

"I think that will be fine."

"Great. I'll meet you up at the register to ring this up."

As Brandi returned to the register to wait for her mother, she couldn't help but think about what Mary was doing. There had been times in the last three months where she'd almost called home just to check. But she'd remembered that if she didn't follow the rules, she could end up in prison. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice her mother return with the few items she'd picked out.

"Brandi…is something wrong, sweetheart?"

Brandi blinked and shook her head. "No…I'm fine…just thinking about Mary." She began to ring up the shirts.

Jinx reached over the counter to give her daughter a comforting pat on the arm. "I'm sure she's fine…I mean...she has to be."

"Yeah…I guess you're right. I just miss her sometimes."

"I do too. But we're fine here…we're really doing well. We have to believe she is too."

Brandi finished ringing and bagging the clothes and took the credit card her mother handed her. She handed the bags over the counter and gave her mother a smile.

"I'll see you at home later. Love you."


	10. Trial Run

Trial Run

_Trial Run_

The sun had just begun to ascend over the roofs in Elk River when a loud knock came on the door. Brandi rolled over and tried to ignore it but the sound resounded a second time; more frantic.

"Ok, I'm coming." It came out as a grumble, certainly not audible to whoever was knocking. She quickly pulled on slippers and went to unlock the door. Aaron stood on the other side when she pulled it open.

A smile and a flirtatious batting of eyelashes. "Hi."

"Morning. You need to get dressed."

"Why? You buying me breakfast again?"

"We've got to fly to New Jersey. You're giving your testimony tomorrow."

Brandi's eyes widened to the size of half dollars. "Oh God I forgot. Uh…come in."

It had been nearly eight months since she and her mother had entered WITSEC. She raced back into her room, leaving the door slightly ajar as she pulled on clothes.

"You'd think I'd be totally ready for this, you know. It's why I'm here after all."

Aaron stood in the small living room, back turned towards the door. "We'll grab something to eat on the plane."

"Hey…how long are we going to be gone again?"

"Two…three days tops." He heard drawers slamming in the other room and couldn't help but smile. Brandi was nothing if not entertaining. "Don't forget to say goodbye to your mom before we go. We don't want her frantically calling Karena, thinking you've run off."

Brandi stuck her head out, "Very funny."

Some ten minutes later, Brandi emerged dragging a suitcase behind her. Aaron just shook his head in amusement. She couldn't go anywhere travelling lightly.

"Go say goodbye."

Brandi set her purse down atop the suitcase and walked quietly into Jinx's room. Her mother lay sprawled out beneath the covers. She bent down and shook her mother lightly by the arm. Jinx let out a moan but didn't wake.

"Mom."

Another groan and this time her eyes fluttered open. "What?" A pause and then she sat bolt upright. "I'm not late for work am I?"

"No Mom. I'm leaving…for New Jersey…I have to testify tomorrow."

"Oh…well…" Jinx ran a hand over her face. "Be good."

"Bye Mom. I'll call when we land." With that, Brandi returned to the living room to find Aaron pulling her suitcase.

The walk out to the car was quiet as they tried to avoid the other's glances. They had kept in touch over the last eight months, more so than most witnesses and their marshals. Aaron had been careful to keep it casual and friendly. He had no desire to lose his job. Still, he couldn't lie to himself; Brandi was an attractive young woman.

"So…it's just us on this trip?"

He looked at her as he put the suitcase in the trunk. "Yeah."

"Cool."

Some twenty five minutes later, they boarded a small jet. Brandi had to admit that Witness Protection really knew how to treat people. She slid into one of the leather seats and leaned back.

"You guys sure travel in style."

Aaron just gave a nod and sat down beside her. They shared a quiet breakfast before the jet took off, climbing steadily into a misty gray sky.

"So…do you think they're going to find him guilty?" She looked almost embarrassed to have broken the silence.

"I don't know. It's up to the prosecution to present the best case they can."

"What happens though…if he doesn't get convicted? He can…well he can be persuasive, you know?"

He waited a minute before giving her an answer. As inconspicuously as possible, he placed his hand on hers. "You'll be safe no matter what happens. He can't find you now."

She glanced down at his hand and laced her fingers through his. "I guess so." Brandi let out a slow breath, her hand still firmly clasped with his.

"So…you get to travel a lot I bet…with all of your witnesses."

"Sometimes. But Brandi, you know I'm not allowed to talk about my other cases. It would be a breach of protocol."

"I get it…chill, ok. I was just saying is all." She turned her head away, letting him catch a glimpse of a pout.

Aaron pulled his hand from her grasp and looked out the window. The sky had cleared as they'd moved away from Elk River. The sun was beginning to filter through the glass and dance along the interior of the jet. Brandi kept her gaze away from him as well. Soon, both were lost in their own thoughts, oblivious to the pilot's announcement that they were about to land until the wheels whirred beneath them and collided with the runway.

Aaron unbuckled his seatbelt and got to his feet. Brandi remained seated. She appeared to be avoiding his gaze at all costs.

"Are you coming?"

She looked up. "Yeah." With a soft 'click' she was on her feet, purse slung over her shoulder. "So where to now?"

"Hotel. We'll get settled. You should get some rest. We'll be up early tomorrow. You're the second witness being called."

"Shouldn't we like go over my testimony or something? Like they do on TV?"

"You'll do fine. Just tell the truth and you will fine."

"You aren't the one who has to face Chuck."

He led her over to a car waiting a short distance from the runway and pulled open the back door. She slid in and watched him climb into the passenger seat in front of her. The driver didn't make any attempts to speak to Brandi. He only accepted a slip of paper from Aaron before driving away. They drove for a good fifteen or twenty minutes before they reached a two story hotel. Brandi tried to get her bearings, figure out where they were but nothing was clicking. She'd been away from New Jersey for too long.

"Here you go."

Brandi nearly jumped through the roof of the car as they driver finally spoke. She tried to give him a smile through the rearview mirror as she undid the seatbelt and climbed from the car. She watched Aaron thank the driver and take a small envelope.

"Who was that?" she asked as they headed for a room.

"Marshal here in Jersey."

"Not much of a talker."

"No…he's not." He pulled a key card from the envelope the other Marshal had given him.

"Come here often?"

"Let's just say the Marshal Service is more coordinated than you'd think." The lock gave a 'beep' and he pushed the door open.

Brandi peered inside; two beds. It would be an interesting three days. She pulled her suitcase over the threshold and set it beside the bed nearest the bathroom. Aaron walked in behind her and shut the door.

"So…couldn't spring for two rooms, huh?"

He could hear the teasing tone in her voice. "It's safer this way."

"Safer…right." She gave him a wink as she headed into the bathroom.

Just as the door shut, Aaron's phone began to vibrate on his belt. He pulled it open and flipped it open. "Greene."

"Did you land?"

"Yeah, Kar, we did. We're at the hotel." He could hear she wanted to say something more. "What is it?"

"Just be careful."

"No one will get near her. I think I've been doing my job long enough to know how to protect a witness during a trial."

"That's not what I meant, Aaron."

He let out a breath, listening to the sounds in the bathroom. "Nothing's going to happen." The door opened. "I've got to go." He ended the call just as Brandi walked back out.

"What's up?"

"Nothing. Karena was just calling to make sure we made it."

"Oh…I should probably call Mom." She rummaged in her purse for her cell phone.

Afternoon slowly faded into evening. They laid low, ordering take out for dinner. Brandi was currently lying on one of the beds, flipping channels when she heard footsteps outside. A knock came on the door and she stood up slowly. She peered through the small peep hole and hurriedly unlocked the door, letting Aaron in.

"I come bearing food."

"Great…I'm starving."

He handed her one of the bags and she retreated to the bed. They sat in relative silence, the TV humming in the background, as they ate. Brandi stared down at the fortune cookie in her hand and turned it over a time or two.

"Something wrong?" Aaron asked.

"No…just thinking." A 'pop' a she opened the cookie. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Are you married?"

He blinked. He couldn't stop himself. He moved closer to her before answering. "Why?"

"I don't know…just asking. I mean you don't wear a ring."

"No. I'm not married."

She gave a half-smile, reaching out to brush her hand against his. His mind urged him, shouted at him, to back away but he couldn't move. He sat there and watched as she moved closer, pressing her lips against his. As if on instinct his let his hand cup her cheek. Her arms soon wound their way around his neck, pulling him closer.

"Brandi." It came out as a rasp.

"Hmm?"

"Stop. We can't."

She pulled away, giving him a look of confusion. "Why not?"

"Because…we just can't."

"What? Am I not good enough for your or something?"

"No…that's not it." He grabbed her by the wrist to keep her from moving. "It's against the rules. I…I can't get involved with a witness. I could lose my job."

"Oh." She locked gazes, radiating guilt.

"It's not your fault. You didn't know. I should have said something sooner."

She nodded, pulling her wrist from his grip.

"You should get some rest. Early day tomorrow."


	11. Opt Out

Opt Out

_Opt Out_

The following morning, Brandi and Aaron arrived at the court house with enough time to get settled before the Bailiff appeared.

"Brandi Shannon."

Brandi stood and looked to Aaron. "Wish me luck."

"You'll do great."

She let out a breath as she followed the Bailiff into the courtroom. Her eyes scanned the smattering of onlookers as she walked up to the witness stand. She shivered as she locked eyes with Chuck. He could always make her feel uneasy, even when he was thousands of miles away. She averted her gaze and looked at the Bailiff.

"Raise your right hand."

She complied.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth so help you God?"

"I do."

"Be seated."

Brandi sat down, wringing her hands in her lap, just out of view of the rest of the people in court. She was trying to stay calm. As long as she told her side of the story accurately, she'd be ok. They couldn't lock her up. Her eyes locked onto the prosecutor, a young man with intense green eyes as he stood and walked around the table.

"Could you please state your name for the court?"

Brandi swallowed. "Brandi Shannon."

"Miss Shannon, what is your relationship to the defendant?"

"Chuck? He's my boyfriend…well ex-boyfriend. We broke up a while ago"

The prosecutor gave a nod that she could stop talking. She cleared her throat, waiting for the next question.

"Now, could you please tell the court your involvement, if any, with the defendant's drug business?"

Brandi took a moment before answering. She needed to gather her thoughts. She had no idea how much Chuck already knew.

"Uh…well a year and a half ago he told me that he needed me to go to Albuquerque because a guy he knew was going to make a sale there." A pause and the prosecutor nodded for her to continue. "So…I took the drugs to New Mexico. I guess I didn't really think anything of it."

"Please describe the drugs, if you can remember."

"It was twenty kilos of crystal meth."

"So, did you make the drop?"

Brandi shook her head. "No. I…I was starting to turn my life around. I tossed the drugs in the river…"

"The police report from Albuquerque said you had the drugs?"

"Yeah…I went back and got them. I thought…if I turned them in…that maybe people wouldn't get hurt…."

"Thank you. No further questions." He returned to his seat.

Brandi watched the defense attorney stand. Something about him made Brandi squirm. He looked like someone Chuck would know.

"Miss Shannon…may I call you Brandi?"

Brandi blinked. "I guess."

He smiled. "Brandi…now you told the court that you turned the drugs in to the police because you…" he paused to pick up his notes, "thought that you turned them in that maybe people wouldn't get hurt. Wasn't it the fear of getting caught that made you turn in the drugs?"

"Sort of."

"Yes or no."

"Yes…but that was only part of it."

"Isn't it also true that you made a deal with the district attorney in Albuquerque?"

"So what?" She felt the judge staring down at her.

"Miss Shannon, please answer with 'yes' or 'no."

"Yes."

"What was that agreement?"

"Objection Your Honor. Relevance?"

"It goes to the credibility of the witness."

"I'll allow it. Please answer the question, Miss Shannon."

"I…I testify against Chuck and they don't charge me."

"No further questions."

The judge looked over at Brandi. "You may step down."

She stood, her legs wobbly beneath her as the Bailiff led her out of the room. Aaron spotted her as soon as the doors opened.

"How did it go?"

"I don't know…I told them what happened…the defense guy asked about my deal with the district attorney in Albuquerque."

"It's ok. They didn't know about the program. You did good."

"So wait…do we have to stay here until the trial is over?"

"No. I'll be in touch with the prosecution. They'll let us know when there has been a verdict. We're catching a plane back tonight."

They landed back in Elk River shortly before eleven. Brandi was out of her seat and off the jet in record time. Aaron had to run after her to catch up.

"What's the hurry?"

"I don't know…I just…I'm anxious. I know my part of the trial is over. I just…I want it all to be over. I want him in jail."

"The prosecution has a strong case."

"I just want to get home…see Mom."

"Ok. Come on."

Two weeks passed before Brandi heard any news about the trial. She'd fallen back into her daily routine but the anxiety still surfaced every now and again. She got the call at work around mid day on a Thursday.

"Hello?"

"Brandi, it's Marshal Greene."

"Let me guess, you're around your boss?" They'd both tried to act as if the moment in the hotel hadn't happened.

"Funny. I just wanted to call and give you the news."

Brandi looked over her shoulder to see her manager giving her a dark look. Shrugging it off, she moved to a more secluded area of the store.

"Ok…should I like sit down or something?"

"That's up to you. But, the prosecutor called. The jury convicted on all counts. He's going away from a long time."

"That's great. Mom will be happy."

"You don't sound too happy."

"No, I am…really. Hey I've got to go but um…do you think you could come over tonight…at like six?"

"Brandi…we've been through this…"

"It's not like that. I just…I need to ask you something face to face."

"Yeah…I'll be there."

"Thanks. Bye."

She hung up and slid her phone back into her pocket. She'd get reprimanded for taking a call in the middle of a shift but it was worth it. She was safe and so was her family. She only hoped that Aaron would let her do what she wanted.

Six o'clock rolled around and Brandi paced the living room. Jinx walked out in her waitress uniform.

"What's wrong?"

"I asked Aar-Marshal Greene to stop by tonight. And he's late."

"Oh. He's a nice man."

"Yeah…he is."

"Pretty cute too."

"Mom!"

"Well he is."

Just then, a knock resounded on the door. Brandi raced over and pulled it open.

"Come in."

Aaron walked in and gave Jinx a smile and a nod. "Evening."

"Hi."

He turned back to Brandi. "So…what did you need to ask me?"

"Um…back in Albuquerque before came…the Marshals there…they said something about like getting out of the program."

He nodded. "Witnesses are allowed to opt out of the program."

"Well…I want to do it."

"What? Honey? Are you sure?" Jinx asked.

"Yeah, Mom. Chuck's in jail…so are all his friends. There's no one to hurt us. We can go home."

"He went to jail? When?"

"The jury convicted yesterday."

"Oh…" Jinx sunk onto the couch.

"This is kind of sudden isn't it?"

Brandi sat down next to her mother and placed a hand on her arm. "I know it's a lot to ask right now but…Mom think about it…we could go home…see Mary. I mean I like our life here but…I feel like there's no real reason to hide anymore."

"You're right." Jinx turned to Aaron. "What do we have to do?"

"I can bring the paperwork by tomorrow before you both go to work."

"Great. Thanks."

"Well…have a good night."

As soon as the door shut, Jinx turned to look at her daughter. "This doesn't have anything to do with him, does it?"

"Mom…maybe a little. We um…in New Jersey...we kissed…but we can't date or anything…it's against the rules."

"So if you weren't in the program anymore….you could."

"Yeah…maybe. If he wanted to."

"Good for you. He's much better than Chuck."

Brandi let out a sigh. "Yeah…he is. But you need to go to work."

Brandi spent the evening starting to pack her things. She wanted to be ready to leave as soon as they could. The next morning, Aaron and Karena arrived with the paperwork. Both Shannon women were packed and ready to go.

"So…do we get to fly back on the jet?" Brandi asked as Aaron handed her a pen.

"You'll be flying commercial."

"Guess that makes sense." She scribbled her signature at the bottom of the form and handed it back.

"So…uh…I guess this means I'm not your witness anymore."

"Nope. You're just a beautiful woman I had the pleasure of getting to know."

"Look me up sometime." She gave him a wink as she began to pull her luggage out into the hallway.

He followed after her, pulling the door shut behind them. He watched Brandi searching through her purse and couldn't help but reach out and take her hand in his. She looked at him and let her purse fall to the ground. In a matter of moments, he had gently pulled her to him. They stood in the hallway, kissing for what felt like hours. Neither Jinx nor Karena said a word as they walked into the hallway. Karena finally cleared her throat.

"We should get going. They have a plane to catch."

Aaron stepped back, looking embarrassed. "Right."

He and Brandi exchanged a brief hug outside of security before she and her mother went through. The two marshals stood, giving them a wave.

"Be careful, Aaron. You don't know what you're getting into."

"Thanks for the concern, but I think I know exactly what I'm getting into."

The flight back to Albuquerque was uneventful, landing Brandi and Jinx back in the city around two o'clock.

"Do you think she'll be home yet?" Jinx asked as they retrieved their luggage from baggage claim.

"I don't know. Guess we'll find out."

Mary sat in the living room, reading the newspaper. She'd had a short day and she liked it that way. She flipped to the business section just as a car pulled to a stop in the driveway. She set the paper down and peered out the window. She stared at Brandi and Jinx climbed out of a cab.

"What the hell?"

She was on the front porch in a matter of seconds.

"Hi sweetie!" Jinx exclaimed.

"What are you guys doing here? Are you nuts?"

"No. We opted out of the program…the trial is over and stuff. Chuck went to prison."

"And now, Brandi can date…"

"Mom…shut up."

"That's…" She paused. She could tell by the way her mother and sister stood expectantly that they wanted to move back in. "Come on in.

Mary let out a sigh as she watched her mother and sister walk into the house. "So much for having the house to myself."


End file.
